New Delhi, May 16
The Lok Sabha today passed by a voice vote a bill that provides for exempting 46 posts, including the National Advisory Council Chairmanship, from the purview of the office of profit.
The Parliament (Prevention of Disqualification) Amendment Bill, 2006 seeks to bring changes in the 1959 Act by exempting more posts from the purview of the office of profit.
The Bill was passed by voice vote amid opposition by the NDA with some of its members staging a walkout. The NDA had objected even to the introduction of the Bill and had staged a walkout.
Replying to the debate, Law Minister H R Bhardwaj said the proposed legislation will put in place a system whereby definition of office of profit will be clear.
Emphasising that everyone's suggestions had been taken care of, he said the government had no ill-will against anybody. He lashed out at the Opposition for attacking Sonia Gandhi.
"We have respect for everyone, every political leader. But still our leader is attacked," the Minister said.
Amid thumping of desks by treasury benches, he said the Congress President had shown ethical and moral values and principles, which were lacking in others.
The Leader of the Opposition, Mr L K Advani, accused the government of "bulldozing" the measure.
Objecting to the inclusion of the NAC post in the exemption list, Mr Advani said Mrs Gandhi as NAC chief had become a "super Prime Minister".
He said: "Everyone agreed
that the office of the Prime Minister has been devalued and diminished".Mr Advani contended that if the NAC post was to be exempted, then the government should have come out with a Constitution amendment instead of a simple bill as the post was "virtually a Constitutional office".
Speaker Somnath Chatterjee, who has been charged with holding the office of profit, did not preside over the proceedings when the issue was taken up on grounds of propriety.
The Minister said the Bill was also applicable to charitable trusts. To a query from the Deputy Speaker, Bhardwaj said SGPC and Akal Takht office-bearers were also covered under the bill.
Ms Maneka Gandhi (BJP) opposed the Bill describing it as a ''cynical
exercise''. She said the Parliamentary norm had been abandoned by not sending the Bill to the Standing Committee.
''The Bill only adds to confusion,'' the BJP member said adding today 46 posts were being exempted but tomorrow 100 of them may be exempted.
Referring to the Speaker facing
disqualification on the gorund of holding office of profit, she said: "Caesar should be above suspicion.''
Mr Mohan
Singh (SP) supported the Bill. He said it should not be left to people to say that double standards had been adopted in regard to disqualifying the MPs caught on the camera taking bribe and in case of those caught misusing the MPLAD funds.
"We should not be blamed by the posterity of adopting double
standards," he said, adding that the "renunciation" by Mrs Sonia Gandhi in resigning from Lok Sabha membership and from the NAC had cost very dearly to the national exchequer necessitating fresh elections. It would have been much less expensive had she continued as NAC Chairperson.
Mr Sukhdev Singh Dhindsa (SAD), opposing the Bill, said: "If we pass this Bill it will derogate the image of Parliament as it is clear from the Bill that it is being brought to help some members to retain their membership."
He said: "We make the laws and we change the laws to suit us and it is not the right message for the people from the Parliament of the country. We should not change the laws in this manner rather we should find out some permanent solution to this issue."
